UIF Benefits -- The Sliding Scale
UIF Benefits -- The Sliding Scale
How much UIF pays out and for how long. The benefit is a sliding share of your old salary, capped, and you build it up by working. The figures that decide a claim.
How much it pays
| Income replacement rate (IRR) | Slides from 60% (lowest earners) down to 38% (at or above the ceiling) |
| Contribution / earnings ceiling | R17,712 per month (unchanged since June 2021) |
| Maximum monthly benefit | R6,730.88 (38% of the ceiling) |
How long it pays
| Credit days earned | 1 credit day for every 4 days worked as a contributing employee |
| Maximum accrual | 365 credit days = 12 months of benefit maximum |
| Draw-down | 1 day of benefit is used for every 6 days of benefit claimed against credits |
What you pay in
| Contribution | 1% from the employee + 1% from the employer = 2% of pay |
| Capped at | R177.12 each per month (2% of the R17,712 ceiling = R354.24 total) |
Guidance only. The replacement rate slides on a set formula, so the percentage a lower earner gets is higher than the 38% ceiling figure. The R17,712 ceiling has not changed since June 2021 -- confirm it has not been re-gazetted. Verify at labour.gov.za / ufiling.co.za.
Sources: DEL Fact Sheet on calculation of normal UIF benefit · Unemployment Insurance Act
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